Study finds Generation X hardest working in Australia

A new study by HR consultancy Directioneering has stirred the pot by claiming that Generation X is the hardest working generation in Australia, easily outpolling Baby Boomers and Generation Y.

A new study by HR consultancy Directioneering has stirred the pot by claiming that Generation X is the hardest working generation in Australia, easily outpolling Baby Boomers and Generation Y.

This result was one of a number of generational differences revealed in the Directioneering 10 Year Trend Study, which polled more than 170 HR directors and senior HR managers across Australia. The survey sought to understand the key trends that have affected the HR landscape in the past decade and future trends to be expected over the next decade.

More than 45 per cent of those surveyed named Gen X, the generation once known for grunge and ripped jeans, as the hardest working Aussie employees, with Baby Boomers (25 per cent) placing second and Gen Y (3 per cent) a distant third. While Baby Boomers were recognised as the most loyal workers by 79 per cent of respondents, Directioneering found they were also found to lack ambition and be the least comfortable with change in the workplace.

Gen Y workers were identified as the most likely to want clear career progression (59 per cent), ongoing training (57 per cent) and the most mercenary (51 per cent). They were also seen as the most willing to accept change (43 per cent) and the most likely to want to be challenged (37 per cent), with Gen X not too far behind on these traits.

Directioneering International Managing Director Nick Plummer said the results emphasised the need for a more personalised approach to talent and career management.

“Employees of different generations have different needs and aspirations and therefore need a tailored approach to talent and career management rather than a ‘one size fits all’ strategy,” Plummer said.

Do you agree or disagree with these findings from Directioneering? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment in the box below.

Other figures of note from the study include:

82 per cent of HR professionals expect a more competitive business environment to be the key challenge to impact on their business in the next 10 years.

22 per cent of HR professionals believe social media is a potential corporate risk.

48 per cent of businesses train their staff to understand the risks social media can have on their corporate brand and 46 per cent train their staff to understand the risk social media can have on their own personal and professional reputation.

94 per cent of HR professionals expect technology to have some impact on their business in the next 10 years.

Follow @mybusinessau on Twitter for breaking stories throughout the day.